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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28307229">The Nutcracker's Curse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/briaeveridian/pseuds/briaeveridian'>briaeveridian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Crossover AUs [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, One Shot, Rey POV, Soft Ben Solo, because why not, cursed ben solo, happy holidays, in general i find nutcrackers kind of weird, so i can't explain why i wrote this, the nutcracker crossover, they're awkward together and i love it, unexpected nudity that makes the author laugh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:09:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28307229</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/briaeveridian/pseuds/briaeveridian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A reimagined story of The Nutcracker.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Crossover AUs [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Nutcracker's Curse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy Holidays! Writing is getting really hard and it makes me sad!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It is Christmas Eve and bitterly cold. A profound quiet hovers over the land, with nothing but stars to pierce the reverie with their delicate and distant combustions. Rey crosses the snow with slow steps, sturdy boots descending several inches into the blanketing ice. Her hands are plunged in her pockets to keep the ache at bay.</p><p>The air shifts and a crisp wind assails her. It takes up swift residence in her lungs. Rey holds it there, letting her body heat change the temperature gradually. An exhaling breath releases the air as a miniature white cloud</p><p>She has loved winter all her life, has treasured how it sweeps away the noise and agitation of regular life. It brings a sense of magic she has always dreamt of. For within the white landscape, things unknown and unknowable make their appearance.</p><p>Bare trees swish in the relentless northern air, claw-like branches scratching at the black velvet sky. Nothing else trembles except a bank of clouds on the eastern horizon, which blots out the curving arc of heaven with increasing ferocity. Rey gasps when a strike of lightning illuminates the layers and bubbles of the mountainous cloud. Bits of early snow descend warily and Rey catches one in her hand.</p><p>In her peripheral vision, the house where Rey lives makes a golden smear, blaring rebelliously against the backdrop of thick shadow and reflected light. Though she’s not ready to go back in, she realizes that watching the oncoming storm from inside will be far more comfortable than being in it.</p><p>She turns toward the gate when bell rings out, shattering the exquisite calm. Rey winces at the cacophony.</p><p>“I’m coming, Maz,” Rey calls sharply. She hopes she shields the irritation in her voice. Maz has been a kind foster mother. <i>She deserves nothing but respect.</i></p><p>“You spend too much time in the cold, dear. And not enough time in the light.” Maz waits for her at the door with a wry look.</p><p>Rey ducks her head to hide her disdain at the notion.</p><p>“Yes, Maz.”</p><p>The older woman bustles her inside and helps remove her coat. Rey slumps on the bench by the door to unlace her boots. Maz hovers nearby, waiting for something. <i>She won’t let me grow up. She thinks I’m still a child. But I’m nineteen years old. Nearly old enough to take a husband.</i> This thought only rankles her further.</p><p>“Rey, dear, your godfather will be here soon. Please ready yourself. You look a fright.”</p><p>With a downward glance, Rey takes in her appearance. Her cotton dress looks wrinkled, the bodice askew and skirts muddied. Rey has to stifle her impulse to protest and force a nod. The action makes the free tendrils of her hair bounce.</p><p>“Quickly, then,” Maz urges and leaves the entry hall.</p><p>Rey wrinkles her nose and dashes up the staircase into her room. She shuts the door smoothly and leans back on it. The weight of her responsibilities returns from their brief reprieve. </p><p>Luke Skywalker became her godfather when Maz first took Rey in as her own.</p><p>Though admirably benevolent, Luke has never understood Rey. He sees her as fragile, dainty, prizing her beauty over her mind and her strength. Of course, she cannot hold this against him, having never demonstrated her capabilities. </p><p>Rey has had the sense that Luke has plans for her, but she can’t begin to fathom what form they could take. She hopes that tonight provides some new insight into the workings of his mind. Whether for better or worse, she’d like to know what precisely is going on.</p><p>Slipping from her daily dress into a more presentable gown, Rey then moves to the mirror to adjust her hair. It takes only seconds for her to loosen and recoil her buns, each one keeping hair from her eyes and off her neck. It’s utilitarian, rather than stylish, and though Maz has chided her for it, Rey continues to fix her hair this way.</p><p>
  <i>Pish on all of them for demanding I be beautiful above all else.</i>
</p><p>A heightened, sustained flickering draws her attention to the window. The clouds have crept closer since she came inside. They have a purplish hue now, similar to her bruise that refuses to heal following a fall from the apple tree. She knows Maz would scold her for it but it’s easy to keep it hidden under her skirts. Idly, Rey adjusts the maroon dress that reaches the floor and smooths out the beaded bodice.</p><p>Despite the passage of several minutes, Rey can’t tear her eyes from the snowstorm that builds upon itself. She sighs. It’s a sound of partial contentment, partial melancholy. Her life is comfortable and she enjoys significant privilege. Still, there is a kind of loneliness that plagues her.</p><p>There’s a shout from downstairs. </p><p>“Rey! Your godfather has arrived!”</p><p>With a last glance in the mirror, Rey slips into her emerald shoes and walks back through the bedroom door. </p><p>“Merry Christmas, Rey!” Luke proclaims as soon as he sees her. She adopts her most charitable smile.</p><p>“And to you, Godfather. I hope all has been well since last we spoke.” Rey curtsies slightly. </p><p>“Ah, yes. How kind of you to inquire.” Luke inclines his head, which causes his beard to compress against his chest. The man is handsome, wealthy, and generous. Rey has never known why he would remain a bachelor. “My sister Leia’s spirits have maintained course. Of course, I would rather see them improve. None of us have recovered from the loss of Ben. Still, I had hoped she would one day find reason to smile again.”</p><p>Rey knows the story of the missing boy well. It was Christmas Eve many years before when he simply vanished beside the tree. It happened before Rey came to live with Maz and consequently never met him.</p><p>They walk to the couch in the sitting room. Upon the mantelpiece sit two stockings, candles, and fresh-cut pine branches. A tree, covered in dried orange and popcorn occupies the corner. The fire provides a backdrop of crackles and spurts that she pretends accompanies the storm outside.</p><p>“I imagine the anniversary makes it all the more emotionally taxing, Godfather. I am so sorry for your family’s loss.”</p><p>There’s a strange glimmer in Luke’s eyes at that, which makes Rey question how much the man actually misses his nephew or some other meaning she cannot parse. It passes.</p><p>“No one is ever truly gone, Rey. It does us well to remember that.”</p><p>Rey nods slowly, trying not to imagine how things would be if her parents hadn’t died. Her head droops and for a while she forgets that Luke rests beside her.</p><p>Suddenly, he turns to her. “I have a gift for you, dear one.” He holds out a rectangular box with a small smile. She inclines her head.</p><p>“Thank you. That’s very kind of you, Godfather.” Rey gingerly tugs on the red ribbon and peels back the golden paper. </p><p>The wrapping falls away to reveal a nutcracker, twelve-inches tall and painted with precision. It gleams solidly in the firelight. Rey tests out the handle, watching the small mouth open and close. She can’t imagine having nuts small enough to crack with such an apparatus.</p><p><i>A child’s gift. Of course.</i> She swallows her disapproval.</p><p>“What a charming little soldier.” Rey lets it rest in her lap to give Luke a sideways hug. He’s taken by surprise and huffs out a laugh.</p><p>“It is from Leia, as well. We thought you should have it. It seemed to appear out of nowhere after Ben disappeared.” Luke clears his throat. “We’d never seen it before. Now, it reminds us of him. Just as you remind of us him.”</p><p>Rey startles at the confession. “How can I remind you of him?”</p><p>“You are intelligent and inquisitive with a kind heart. And, I’ve heard from Maz you have quite the streak of bravery and stubbornness running through you.” Luke laughs again then says more quietly, “I think he would have liked you.”</p><p>This is jarringly obtuse for Luke. Rey feels her cheeks heat, swallows, and recovers.</p><p>“I cannot imagine taking something that reminds you both of Ben.” <i>Plus, I do not want a blasted toy.</i> She offers it to Luke but he dismisses the notion with a flick of his hand.</p><p>“No, no, dear. We discussed it endlessly. It is for you, just as my dream told me.”</p><p>Rey jerks her head at him. “Your dream?”</p><p>“Yes, some nights ago. I saw myself giving you this nutcracker. And I dreamt it again last night. I think it was a message, one too important to ignore.”</p><p>She stares at him with brows furrowed. “I appreciate the gift.” With intention, Rey unwinds her facial muscles. Luke covers her hand with his and squeezes gently, then stands.</p><p>“I’d best be on my way now. Merry Christmas, Rey. Do come visit the manor soon. Leia would love to see you.”</p><p>Rey follows him to the door. After a moment, Maz joins them.</p><p>“Leaving already?”</p><p>“Yes, I’m afraid so. Dinner is ready at home and I’d hate to keep my sister waiting.” They exchange a series of hugs and a rush of wind greets them as the door opens. “Good night!”</p><p>Maz and Rey wave farewell as his form is consumed by darkness.</p><p>“Time for dinner. I do hope you’re hungry.”</p><p>Rey walks behind Maz, whose tiny feet make no sound on the carpet.</p><p>The nutcracker lays forgotten on the couch, half-lit by the fire’s glow and half shadowed.</p>
<hr class="solid"/><p>After saying goodnight to Maz, Rey finds herself too alert to sleep. <i>Perhaps I’ll watch the storm by the fire.</i> It’s an enticing prospect. She slips into her nightgown, long robe, and wool socks, then returns to the sitting room. </p><p>The Christmas tree sits beside the fireplace, all of its individual candles snuffed out. Nevertheless, it gleams well enough and Rey finds herself relaxing in the cozy atmosphere. Her eyes drift to the nutcracker and she tilts her head. <i>Perhaps I cannot understand it but I should not treat such an important thing disrespectfully. It means a lot to the Skywalkers and should therefore mean something to me.</i></p><p>She picks it up and carries it to the windowsill, along with armfuls of pillows and blankets. Creating a buffer to ward off the cold that percolates the window, Rey crafts a nest of warmth for herself and the nutcracker. Lightning rends the sky and with it booms that nearly shake the house. Still, she finds it tranquil. And soon, she falls asleep.</p><p>Tapping on the window troubles Rey awake. The house is silent, the fire burnt low. Outside the lightning has passed, leaving a gentle snow to fall. She rubs her eyes absently and tries to locate the source of the sound.</p><p>“Ahem… Hello.”</p><p>Rey jumps, unsure where the sound came from. At once the fog is dispelled and she’s on guard, breathing heavily and nerves tingly with fear.</p><p>“Who said that?” Rey’s standing now with her back pressed back against the wall. Instinctively she grabs a candlestick from the mantle and brandishes it threateningly. She bares her teeth for good measure.</p><p>“I find it embarrassing, to be quite frank.”</p><p>Rey wrinkles her nose. “What on <i>Earth</i> do you mean? Show yourself!”</p><p>A small bit of movement on the windowsill draws her attention. Then, wonder of wonders, her nutcracker appears from under the blanket. It has a bashful expression, arms bent in a show of non-aggression. It steps over the pile of blankets and pillows and makes the kind of subtle, nuanced face she would expect from a human, not a wooden figure.</p><p>Belatedly, Rey gasps and thrusts the candlestick toward the toy.</p><p>“I’m dreaming. You’re some kind of dream.”</p><p>The little figure chuckles in a stilted way.</p><p>“That’s the first time anyone has ever described me as such.”</p><p>It sounds self-conscious, flustered. To her bemusement, his cheeks seem to color in the dim light.</p><p>“No, this is impossible.” She drops the candlestick, too overwhelmed to consider the loud <i>plonk</i> sound that erupts from its impact on the floor, and pinches herself.</p><p>“You are indeed awake. I am sorry for disturbing your sleep… I guarantee I shall not harm you.” He gives her an additional supplicating look and she feels her defenses tumble down.</p><p>Rey lunges forward, suddenly possessed by curiosity and a need to <i>understand</i>. The little man staggers but doesn’t step away as she kneels in front him. From this vantage point, she can see his outline more clearly but the lack of light still poses a problem.</p><p>“Hold on,” she says quietly and snatches a candle from the Christmas tree. Pulling a match from the box beside the fire she conjures brilliance into the room.</p><p>Immediately she notices how thoroughly detailed the figure is. He has dark hazel eyes and blackish hair. Across his skin lie a dazzle of moles and freckles, impressively small dots considering his overall size. He wears the opulent garb of a soldier but his rifle is noticeably missing. </p><p>
  <i>Probably hid it to use against me later… Or to demonstrate his promise of non-hostility.</i>
</p><p>Rey gulps. “How are you alive?” She pronounces each word slowly, trying to parse through the sheer absurdity of the situation. The little man shrugs.</p><p>“I do not know. All I remember is being human. And now I am in… this form. I assure you, my shock mimics your own.”</p><p>Blinking repeatedly Rey glares at him. “Who <i>are</i> you?”</p><p>“Benjamin Solo. Last I recall I was staying with my parents at my uncle’s house--”</p><p>“That is a lie.”</p><p>The little man turns away from the blanket he stands on to look into Rey’s face. “I assure you, though that seems most likely, it is the truth.”</p><p>“Ben disappeared. I’ve heard the stories. Everyone looked for him. No one could find him. He was just gone.”</p><p>“As if by magic,” the nutcracker replies evenly.</p><p>“How are you this calm?” Rey collapses on the floor, unable to hold her position of rigid attention any longer.</p><p>The little man flicks his brows. “Without meaning to brag, I can say I had a lot of training in emotional control.” He climbs over the blanket and looks at the windowsill edge. “I would like to climb down. There’s quite a draft up here. Can you… help me?”</p><p>Rey’s mouth falls open. The thought of touching him seems brazen, inappropriate. She’s not sure if she should. Plus, to feel him would make it all too real.</p><p>She doesn’t reply and the man exhales sharply.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll manage it myself.” It’s the first time his tone seems anything less than polite. It shakes Rey from her state of confused despondence.</p><p>“I’m sorry, of course,” she stutters and reaches forward. The man peers at her outstretched hand suspiciously. “You can trust me, Benjamin.”</p><p>“Ben is fine. Benjamin sounds like a prince or something.” He seems to shudder as if the thought is too horrendous to even suggest. It’s such a comical reaction that it makes Rey snort.</p><p>“Though it might aggravate you to learn, you quite look the part of a prince.” He freezes midstep and gives her a puzzled look. “Your clothes,” she explains, gesturing at his ensemble. </p><p>“Oh right, yes. I look like a nutcracker.” Ben states this observation distantly and shrugs his shoulders. It’s such an informal thing to do in front of a stranger that Rey feels awkward again.</p><p>“Well, you <i>are</i> a nutcracker.”</p><p>The man scoffs. “You are impolite. I’ve told you what I am; a man, apparently cursed. And yet you continue to say antagonizing things.” He pointedly ignores her suspended palm, throws an edge of the blanket over the windowsill, and attempts to climb down. </p><p>It’s not a graceful descent. </p><p>Delirious laughter bubbles from inside Rey, forcing her to clap a hand onto her mouth. He tosses an angry look at her over his shoulder. Then he unclasps his hands and falls the last several inches. The impact causes him to crumple and she hears an <i>oof</i> sound escape his compressed lungs.</p><p>“Ouch.”</p><p>Rey sobers at once. “I am sorry. I’ll stop being rude. You must admit, this is not a normal incident. I feel quite incapable of processing what is occurring before my eyes.” Her tone is sincere, apology genuine. He keeps his shoulders raised for a moment, looking the part of a fearsome warrior ready for battle. His tension drops after a beat and he walks over to the glowing embers.</p><p>“I can understand.”</p><p>Ben’s voice sounds too quiet now. To remedy this, Rey crawls around the couch to peer at him. He’s crouched close to the fireplace and she wonders for the first time how large he was as a human.</p><p>“You said this was a curse. Why do you think that?” She watches his outline deflate. </p><p>“I had heard a story about my grandfather.” Ben stops abruptly and Rey moves closer until she’s seated beside him. When he begins talking again his voice sounds strained. “My grandfather caused a lot of problems. Everyone thought I would inherit his… temper. His anger. And I did, but not just from Anakin. Regardless, I have worked hard to keep mine in check. For the sake of myself and those around me.” He sighs. “Everyone thought that was the only thing I’d inherit. Apparently, I was gifted the generational curse, as well.”</p><p>Rey’s awash in surprise, gentle and slow and bewildering. <i>He’s honest, direct. Probably too open about his family than he should be.</i> Eventually, the rest of his words begin to sink in.</p><p>“What is your name?” He shifts to look at her.</p><p>She presses her lips together and decides to match his honesty. “Rey Kanata. I live with Maz. Your uncle is my godfather.”</p><p>His eyes widen, full dark moons seeking to follow her. “How long have I been in this form? I have never heard of you.”</p><p>“I don’t know exactly. But I have lived here for fifteen years.”</p><p>His complexion pales. “Fiftee--” Ben buries his face in his hands. At a loss, Rey leans closer. </p><p>“Your family misses you. Leia still mourns. Han was so heartbroken he left.”</p><p>He recoils like she burned him. </p><p>“Left?”</p><p>“I think it was too much to stay. I met him once as a child. He seemed kind but… haunted. It took your mother years to venture out again. Luke has taken good care of her.” She realizes she’s rambling to fill the silence and stops. Folding her legs, Rey stokes the fire to life once more. “Do you know how to break the curse?”</p><p>“Why would I want to? They didn’t care for me before. They only care about me now that I’ve been gone. It’s better this way. I no longer cause problems.” He caves in on himself and for a confounding moment, Rey thinks he might be crying.</p><p>“How can you say that? They are your family.”</p><p>Ben works his tiny jaw. “I will never be the person they want me to be. You cannot imagine what it feels like to disappoint the most important people in your life.” She notices his hands have fisted.</p><p>“You’re wrong. I lost my parents when I was six. Since then, I have had to prove myself to every adult who has taken care of me. I have had to show them I’m worth taking in.” Her throat is tight with emotion, straining under the crushing weight of this revelation. These are words she has never spoken before, barely even allowed herself to acknowledge.</p><p>Ben tilts his head but Rey refuses to look at him. It’s too much to see what form his expression takes; indifference or compassion, either way, it will unleash an onslaught of tears.</p><p>Her efforts are useless. Ben turns to her and inches closer. When he speaks, there’s a frayed perimeter to his voice, a kind of coiled distress. </p><p>“Rey, I’m sorry. I forget that others have suffered, too. I have a tendency to be too focused on myself…” His head shakes and the flames catch on his dark tresses. Rey glances at him through suppressed tears. It looks like he’s physically wrestling with something. “This is simply another thing I inherited from my grandmother. But I don’t want to be that way anymore. I want to think of others if ever I break this curse.”</p><p>“I think too much of others,” Rey murmurs. “Perhaps we can help each other… Find a balance.”</p><p>Ben stays silent but his face betrays the torrent of emotion within him. There’s a spike of awe, a rush of confusion, and a belated flicker of hope. A firm sense of determination takes hold that she couldn’t ignore if she’d wanted to.</p><p>“Ben, you will turn back. I will help you.” </p><p>He wrests his eyes from the floor between them and looks at her. His eyes dart between hers. A heat spills into her, wending all the way to her toes. It’s unfamiliar. She relishes it.</p><p>“Thank you, Rey.” </p><p>Silence bridges the air and Rey’s not sure how to counter the strengthening emptiness. Her solution is to fill it, whether meaningfully or without purpose. It at least gives her something to do.</p><p>“I wonder how we can go about amending this curse. I have always had an interest in magic, you see,” she gushes, each word in quick succession. “But if this one is from your grandfather, perhaps we should consider his situation further. There may be clues to how it was brought about and how he broke it.” Ben clears his throat.</p><p>“I fear he never did. Anakin disappeared when my parents were young. They believe the curse took him from this world. Now I think the curse turned him into something they simply could no longer recognize as their father. Something they perceived as only a toy.” Rey shudders.</p><p>“That is… awful. Is there a chance they kept him?” Rey regrets the question at once.</p><p>But Ben doesn’t seem bothered. She observes him, hunched and thoughtful. After a beat, his face changes. He turns to her brusquely.</p><p>“I do remember a nutcracker… I cannot be sure of its significance, of course, but I have a strong sense it is important.” Ben leaps to his feet and draws closer to her. “I thought it was my responsibility to finish what my grandfather started. I assumed that meant reestablishing the Skywalker name in our community, garnering wealth, and prestige. What if he started something else?”</p><p>“What?” Rey breathes.</p><p>“I do not yet know. But if your offer to help stands, I will gratefully accept.”</p><p>The little man stands tall as he can before her, uniform aflame in the light and expression both earnest and resolute. Rey feels a tug of a smile when he reaches his hand forward as if to assist her to stand out of gentlemanly habit. Impulsively, she moves to embrace his tiny hand in hers.</p><p>Then, something unexpected occurs like a flash of lightning in the darkest night.</p><p>Her fingers touch his skin, causing it to expand most unnaturally. There’s a sound Rey will never be able to describe, thought in the future she will try; a rippling and humming that fills the room. A miasma of movement and color causes her eyes to close. The next thing she hears is a kind of embarrassed huffing noise.</p><p>When she opens her eyes Ben is there before her but not as he was before. He has grown, to what she must assume is his regular, non-cursed size but to her seems <i>too large</i>. She wonders briefly if the curse worked the other way, making him bigger than he should be. However, her mind won’t allow her to pursue that line of thinking because the fully-grown man is sitting in front of her entirely naked, cheeks red as the coals in the fireplace, and he’s scrambling in a most humorous way to cover his acres of naked skin.</p><p>She realizes she should avert her eyes to spare him any further shame but he’s so <i>exceedingly massive</i> she can’t figure out where else to look. His hands alone could cover the expanse of her torso. There’s a flicker of an interest that he wrap his arms around her, which Rey ferociously attempts to quell. And the way his leg muscles spasm while he lurches toward the couch to grab a pillow reminds her of currents in a river.</p><p>Ben’s dazzling, which is not something a young, unmarried woman should be thinking when gawking at a naked man. <i>If it’s the last thing you do, you must look away.</i> With a force of will that astounds her, she whips her back to him and focuses on the Christmas tree. A strange burbling laugh takes root inside her and grows until it leaps from her pressed-together lips.</p><p>Through the entire sequence, Ben has kept up his cascade of noises, all high-pitched and pinched. Rey tries to muffle her laughter, tries to stop her shoulders from shaking with mirth. Despite the lack of success, Rey does manage to speak after several drawn-out seconds.</p><p>“I am so sorry. I didn’t know that such a thing would result from touching you...” Rey directs her attention to smoothing her sleeping gown, suddenly highly aware that she is barely more composed than Ben at the moment.</p><p>“Rey, please believe me when I say I was also in ignorance. I would not have offered you my hand if I had <i>any</i> conception of what would take place…”</p><p>If it’s possible to hear someone blushing, Rey thinks she can. It makes her own cheeks flare. She presses her lips together again, her heart beating faster than all those times she raced the neighbor’s horses across the pasture. When she doesn’t immediately reply there’s a shifting of fabric that lets her know he’s covered, at least partially.</p><p>“If you think I’m a cad I do not blame you. Those clothes apparently weren’t magicked to grow with me,” Ben says weakly. Rey feels the jitter in her chest shift away from laughter to full simpering discomfiture. He speaks again, this time louder. “If I may borrow this blanket to walk home I would be much obliged. I’ll be on my way now…” And already he voice sounds more distant.</p><p>Rey turns fast enough to nearly twist her ankle. She rebalances quickly and bounds after him. Already he’s halfway to the front door but she’s able to wrap her hand around his blanketed arm. He jumps at the touch. It takes an unexpected amount of time to drag her eyes up his bare chest and along his neck to finally meet his eyes. They’re wide and quaking. She straightens.</p><p>“You’re not a cad. And I will not let you walk to your home down the road in a snowstorm wearing nothing but a blanket.” He glances down at her hand, which she drops reflexively. She gestures to the fire. “I will find you another blanket and we will figure this out. Do you understand?” Rey hopes the added authority covers her unprecedented level of frenzied excitement, mixed with a sharp unease. <i>That’s because if anyone found out about this my reputation would be ruined and Maz would be heartbroken. I doubt it would bode well for Ben, either.</i></p><p>Ben tears his gaze from her as if having the same thought but nods nonetheless.</p><p>“Good. We’ll figure this out, Ben. Together.” The word <i>together</i> ignites something molten deep within her. Perhaps feeling it too, Ben looks at her with uncertain, hopeful eyes.</p><p>“Why would you help me? Considering the circumstan--” Rey places a hand on his arm again, this time letting her fingers creep under the blanket. She feels him shiver at the touch.</p><p>“Because I want to.” Another thought blossoms in her mind as she unabashedly studies his face. “And because, looking at you, I have never felt more at ease. Though this is a most uncouth first meeting.” Rey wages another losing battle against laughter. This time, Ben’s eyes gleam and the sides of his lips arc slightly. There’s an elegant dusting of rose from his collar bones, to his ears, to his beauty-marked face.</p><p>“If I could change it, I would have met you under different circumstances,” Ben rumbles and diverts his gaze self-consciously.</p><p>“I would not,” Rey retorts with a snort. “I would never hold your cursed form against you. Nor would I hold… Anything else that may have been accidentally revealed.” Brazenly, she smirks and his eyes narrow nervously. Swiftly, she leans over to grab his free hand and laces her fingers between the gaps. It takes a moment for his to mirror the movement. When they do, Rey exhales.</p><p>“You know, your uncle told me he had a dream that he would give the nutcracker to me.” She leads him back to the fire, deposits him on the couch, and promptly buries him in additional blankets from the windowsill. Ben yelps, though which part was more surprising Rey cannot tell.</p><p>“He did?”</p><p>“I wonder if he knew? That you were cursed, that you just needed someone to…” Rey stares at the decorated tree, not daring to glance over at him. She sits at the farthest side of the couch, allowing the cold to rustle her nightgown around her ankles. Hesitantly, Ben extracts a blanket and drapes it around her.</p><p>“Offer me kindness?” Rey wishes she could nestle into the folds of his voice. “Luke knows more than he will ever let on.” His hand falls away from her. Finally, Rey turns to him.</p><p>“What if it’s more than offering kindness? What if there is something…” She gestures feebly between them, holding her breath.</p><p>To her relief, his face melts into a smile that crinkles his eyes. <i>I couldn’t tell how beautiful he was as a wooden soldier. What a wonder he is.</i></p><p>“If that is true, if there is the chance of something here, then here is where I’ll stay.” </p><p>He doesn’t release her hand and she’s glad.</p><p>In the morning, Maz is only somewhat horrified to find the missing Ben Solo in her home and leaves in a hurry to tell his family. Rey announces that the nutcracker is the best gift she’ll ever receive. And Ben, ever the stubborn one, promises he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to top it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>✨Thank you for reading ✨ </p><p>You can find me on <a href="https://briaeveridian.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a> where my SW obsession lives aggressively.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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